Method for Conveying Messages through a Simulated Flower

ABSTRACT

A method for conveying a message through a simulated flower allows a printed message to be imprinted onto a writing sheet before the writing sheet is transformed into a folded simulated flower. The writing sheet is transformed in a manner such that the printed message is completely or partially concealed from view. The folded simulated flower is removably fastened to a simulated flower stem and an at least one artificial flower leaf is fixed onto either the folded simulated flower or the simulated flower stem. The folded simulated flower may be separated from the simulated flower stem. The printed message may then be displayed by unraveling the folded simulated flower back into the writing sheet. After the printed message has been viewed, the writing sheet may be refolded in order to reform the folded simulated flower. The folded simulated flower may then be refastened to the simulated flower stem.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patentapplication serial number 62/005,205 filed on May 30, 2014. The currentapplication is filed on Jun. 1, 2015 while May 30, 2015 was on aweekend.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method for conveying amessage to an intended recipient. More specifically, the presentinvention is a method for conveying a message through a simulatedflower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flowers have traditionally been given as a sign of love, comfort,congratulations, and general well-wishes. Flowers are often accompaniedby a card or note on which the sender's thoughts are expressed. Receivedflowers may be placed into a vase or similar container for display.While flowers are widely given for a variety of purposes, flowers aresubject to wilting and dying after a short period of time. Additionally,it may be inappropriate to bestow flowers in certain circumstances, forexample, if the recipient is allergic to or otherwise sensitive to freshflowers. The present invention is a method for conveying a messagethrough a simulated flower. A simulated flower is formed from a foldablesheet of paper or similar surface onto which a message may be imprinted.When the message has been imprinted, the simulated flower is folded in amanner such that the message is either completely or partially hiddenfrom view. The simulated flower is attachable to a simulated flower stemas well. Upon receipt, the simulated flower may be removed from thesimulated stem and unfolded by the recipient in order to reveal themessage. After the message has been viewed, the foldable sheet of paperor similar surface may again be folded into the simulated flower andreattached to the simulated stem. The present invention is particularlyuseful as an alternative to fresh flowers if the intended recipient isallergic or otherwise sensitive to fresh flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a flowchart illustrating the overall process that is followedby the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a continuation of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a diagram depicting the overall process that is followed bythe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the secondary process that isfollowed by the present invention when utilizing floral tape to adherethe at least one artificial flower leaf to the folded simulated flower.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heat gun being utilized to thermallybond the at least one artificial flower leaf to the folded simulatedflower.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the secondary process that isfollowed by the present invention when utilizing floral tape to adherethe at least one artificial flower leaf to the simulated flower stem.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heat gun being utilized to thermallybond the at least one artificial flower leaf to the simulated flowerstem.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the secondary process that isfollowed by the present invention when situating the folded simulatedflower upon the simulated flower stem through the natural stem-receivingcavity.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the folded simulated flower beingmounted onto the simulated flower stem through the naturalstem-receiving cavity.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the secondary process that isfollowed by the present invention when fastening the folded simulatedflower to the simulated flower stem utilizing floral wire.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the folded simulated flower beingfastened to the simulated flower stem utilizing floral wire.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart depicting the secondary process that is followedby the present invention when creating a folded simulated flower that issymmetrical about the central axis.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting the secondary process that is followedby the present invention when creating a folded simulated flower that isasymmetrical about the central axis.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the completely assembled foldedsimulated flower, the simulated flower stem, and the at least oneartificial flower leaf.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart depicting the secondary process that is followedby the present invention when displaying the folded simulated flower ina vase-style container.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the folded simulated flower on displayin a vase-style container.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describingselected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a method for conveying a message through asimulated flower. The overall process followed by the present inventionis shown in FIG. 1 a and FIG. 1 b as well as in FIG. 2. In the preferredembodiment of the present invention, a writing sheet 1, a simulatedflower stem 2, and an at least one artificial flower leaf 3 are utilizedin order to convey a message to a recipient. The writing sheet 1provides a surface onto which a message to be conveyed is presented. Thesimulated flower stem 2 and the at least one artificial flower leaf 3serve to increase the aesthetic appearance of the simulated flower andenhance the resemblance of the simulated flower to a fresh flower. Assuch, the simulated flower stem 2 and the at least one artificial flowerleaf 3 correspond to the type of flower that the simulated flowerresembles. Any type of simulated flower stem 2 may be utilized such as,but not limited to, a plant stake.

A printed message 4 that is to be conveyed to the simulated flowerrecipient is imprinted onto a first surface of the writing sheet 1. Thefirst surface is preferably blank, white, or similarly designed in orderto enhance readability of the printed message 4. The printed message 4may be imprinted by various means including, but not limited to, handwriting and printing. The opposing surface to the first surface may becolored, patterned, or otherwise aesthetically decorated.

After the printed message 4 has been imprinted onto the writing sheet 1,the printed message 4 is completely or partially concealed bytransforming the writing sheet 1 into a folded simulated flower 11. Thewriting sheet 1 is transformed into the folded simulated flower 11 in amanner such that the printed message 4 is completely or partiallyconcealed within the folded simulated flower 11 or otherwise completelyor partially concealed from view when observing the folded simulatedflower 11. The folded simulated flower 11 is configured about a centralaxis 5 with the simulated flower stem 2 coaxially positioned with thecentral axis 5. This in turn allows various features of the foldedsimulated flower 11 to be situated about the central axis 5 in order toclosely resemble the anatomy of a fresh flower. The folded simulatedflower 11 may resemble any desired type of fresh flower including, butnot limited to, a rose, a lily, and an iris. The at least one artificialflower leaf 3 is positioned about the central axis 5 as well, similar toa fresh flower.

Following the creation of the folded simulated flower 11 from thewriting sheet 1, the folded simulated flower 11 is removably fastened toa proximal end of the simulated flower stem 2. The at least oneartificial flower leaf 3 is then fixed onto either the folded simulatedflower 11 or the simulated flower stem 2. The fixing point of the atleast one artificial flower leaf 3 is contingent upon the anatomy of thefresh flower counterpart of the folded simulated flower 11 and thepositioning of the flower leaves. The folded simulated flower 11 isseparated from the simulated flower stem 2 prior to the recipientreading the printed message 4. The printed message 4 is displayed byunraveling the folded simulated flower 11 back into the writing sheet 1.Unraveling the folded simulated flower 11 back into the writing sheet 1allows the first surface to be viewed as well as the printed message 4imprinted onto the first surface. After the printed message 4 has beenviewed, the writing sheet 1 may be refolded in order to reform thefolded simulated flower 11 if desired. The folded simulated flower 11may then be refastened to the simulated flower stem 2.

During the overall process of creating the folded simulated flower 11,the at least one artificial flower leaf 3 is attachable to the foldedsimulated flower 11 or the simulated flower stem 2 through variousmeans. One such means is via floral tape, which is used in a secondaryprocess outlined in FIG. 3. The at least one artificial flower leaf 3may be positioned about a structural base 6 for the folded simulatedflower 11 as shown in FIG. 4. The at least one artificial flower leaf 3may be positioned in a manner that resembles the corresponding freshflower of the folded simulated flower 11. The at least one artificialflower leaf 3 is adhered to the structural base 6 by applying the floraltape that is able to hold the at least one artificial flower leaf 3against the structural base 6. After the floral tape is in place, heatis applied to the floral tape in order to thermally bond the at leastone artificial flower leaf 3 to the structural base 6 with the floraltape. The heat is able to melt the floral tape, allowing the floral tapeto more securely hold the at least one artificial flower leaf 3 againstthe structural base 6 upon solidifying.

In the process outlined in FIG. 5, floral tape may be utilized to attachthe at least one artificial flower leaf 3 to the simulated flower stem 2as well. As shown in FIG. 6, the at least one artificial flower leaf 3is laterally positioned about the simulated flower stem 2 in a mannerthat resembles the fresh flower counterpart of the folded simulatedflower 11. Much like the structural base 6, the at least one artificialflower leaf 3 is adhered to the simulated flower stem 2 by applying thefloral tape, holding the at least one artificial flower leaf 3 in placeagainst the simulated flower stem 2. Heat is then applied to the floraltape (e.g. via a heat gun or hair dryer) in order to thermally bond theat least one artificial flower leaf 3 to the simulated flower stem 2with the floral tape. The floral tape is able to melt against the atleast one artificial flower leaf 3 and the simulated flower stem 2 and,upon solidifying, is able to more securely hold the at least oneartificial flower leaf 3 in place against the simulated flower stem 2.

The folded simulated flower 11 may be removably fastened to thesimulated flower stem 2 through various means as well. When removablyfastening the folded simulated flower 11 to the simulated flower stem 2,a natural stem-receiving crevice 7 may be formed into the foldedsimulated flower 11 in the process outlined in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG.8, the natural stem-receiving crevice 7 is able to accept andaccommodate the simulated flower stem 2 while allowing for theseparation of the folded simulated flower 11 from the simulated flowerstem 2. The natural stem-receiving crevice 7 is positioned along thecentral axis 5 in order to allow the simulated flower stem 2 to bepositioned along the central axis 5 as well, much like the fresh flowercounterpart of the folded simulated flower 11. The proximal end of thesimulated flower stem 2 is inserted into the natural stem-receivingcrevice 7 in order to situate the folded simulated flower 11 upon thesimulated flower stem 2. In this example, the simulated flower stem 2 issnugly held in place within the natural stem-receiving crevice 7 withoutany additional assistance. It is important to ensure that the foldedsimulated flower 11 is not damaged when inserting the simulated flowerstem 2 into the natural stem-receiving cavity.

In the process outlined in FIG. 9, floral wire 8 may be utilized inorder to more securely fasten a base protrusion 9 of the foldedsimulated flower 11 to the simulated flower stem 2 in lieu of simplyinserting the simulated flower stem 2 into the natural stem-receivingcrevice 7. The base protrusion 9 is a portion of the folded simulatedflower 11 that may be wrapped by the floral wire 8 as shown in FIG. 10.The base protrusion 9 is positioned along the simulated flower stem 2,adjacent to the proximal end of the simulated flower stem 2. Thisensures that the base protrusion 9 and by extension, the foldedsimulated flower 11, is able to be secured to the proximal end. In thisexample, the folded simulated flower 11 is fastened to the simulatedflower stem 2 by tightly wrapping the floral wire 8 around the baseprotrusion 9 and the simulated flower stem 2. The floral wire 8 iswrapped in a manner such that the floral wire 8 may be easily unwrappedat a later time when separating the folded simulated flower 11 from thesimulated flower stem 2.

With reference to FIG. 11, during the process of transforming thewriting sheet 1 into the folded simulated flower 11, certain types offlowers that are symmetrical about the central axis 5 may be created. Inorder to increase the realistic appearance of the folded simulatedflower 11, a plurality of folded flower features is configured from thewriting sheet 1. The plurality of folded flower features may include,but is not limited to, petals and sepals. The plurality of folded flowerfeatures is configured from the writing sheet 1 by folding the firstsurface against itself, ensuring that the printed message 4 iscompletely or partially concealed. In order to further conceal theprinted message 4 within the folded simulated flower 11, selectedfeatures from the plurality of folded flower features are contorted aswell. When creating a flower such as an iris or a lily, the foldedsimulated flower 11 is formed by symmetrically positioning the pluralityof folded flower features about the central axis 5.

Flowers that are asymmetrical about the central axis 5 may be createdfrom the writing sheet 1 as well as shown in FIG. 12. Again, a pluralityof folded flower features is configured from the writing sheet 1 byfolding itself against itself in order to completely or partiallyconceal the printed message 4. Selected features from the plurality offolded flower features are contorted as well in order to further concealthe printed message 4 within the folded simulated flower 11 as well asto increase the aesthetic resemblance of the folded simulated flower 11to the fresh flower counterpart. When creating a flower such as a rose,the folded simulated flower 11 is formed by asymmetrically positioningthe plurality of folded flower features about the central axis 5.

The completely assembled folded simulated flower 11, the simulatedflower stem 2, and the plurality of artificial leaves is shown in FIG.13. Much like a fresh flower, one or more of the folded simulated flower11 may be presented or placed on display, for example, in a vase-stylecontainer 10. With reference to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a distal end of thesimulated flower stem 2 may be positioned into an opening of thevase-style container 10. This positions the folded simulated flower 11adjacent to the opening. Alternatively, the folded simulated flower 11or multiple of the folded simulated flower 11 may be presented or placedon display in a long stem rose box or similar container.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to itspreferred embodiment, it is understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a simulated flower andfor conveying a message through the simulated flower, the methodcomprises the steps of: (A) providing a writing sheet, a simulatedflower stem, and an at least one artificial flower leaf; (B) imprintinga printed message onto a first surface of the writing sheet; (C)completely or partially concealing the printed message by transformingthe writing sheet into a folded simulated flower, wherein the foldedsimulated flower is configured about a central axis; (D) coaxiallypositioning the simulated flower stem with the central axis; (E)positioning the at least one artificial flower leaf about the centralaxis; (F) removably fastening the folded simulated flower to a proximalend of the simulated flower stem; (G) fixing the at least one artificialflower leaf onto either the folded simulated flower or the simulatedflower stem; (H) separating the folded simulated flower from thesimulated flower stem; and (I) displaying the printed message byunraveling the folded simulated flower back into the writing sheet. 2.The method for conveying a message through a simulated flower as claimedin claim 1, the method comprises the steps of: providing floral tape anda structural base for the folded simulated flower; positioning the atleast one artificial flower leaf about the structural base; adhering theat least one artificial flower leaf to the structural base by applyingthe floral tape; and applying heat to the floral tape in order tothermally bond the at least one artificial flower leaf to the structuralbase with the floral tape.
 3. The method for conveying a message througha simulated flower as claimed in claim 1, the method comprises the stepsof: providing floral tape; laterally positioning the at least oneartificial flower leaf about the simulated flower stem; adhering the atleast one artificial flower leaf to the simulated flower stem byapplying the floral tape; and applying heat to the floral tape in orderto thermally bond the at least one artificial flower leaf to thesimulated flower stem with the floral tape.
 4. The method for conveyinga message through a simulated flower as claimed in claim 1, the methodcomprises the steps of: providing a natural stem-receiving creviceformed into the folded simulated flower, wherein the naturalstem-receiving crevice is positioned along the central axis; andinserting the proximal end of the simulated flower stem into the naturalstem-receiving crevice in order to situate the folded simulated flowerupon the simulated flower stem.
 5. The method for conveying a messagethrough a simulated flower as claimed in claim 1, the method comprisesthe steps of: providing floral wire and a base protrusion of the foldedsimulated flower; positioning the base protrusion along the simulatedflower stem, adjacent to the proximal end of the simulated flower stem;and fastening the folded simulated flower to the simulated flower stemby tightly wrapping the floral wire around the base protrusion and thesimulated flower stem.
 6. The method for conveying a message through asimulated flower as claimed in claim 1, the method comprises the stepsof: configuring a plurality of folded flower features from the writingsheet by folding the first surface against itself; and forming thefolded simulated flower by symmetrically positioning the plurality offolded flower features about the central axis.
 7. The method forconveying a message through a simulated flower as claimed in claim 6,the method comprises the steps of: contorting selected features from theplurality of folded flower features in order to further conceal theprinted message within the folded simulated flower.
 8. The method forconveying a message through a simulated flower as claimed in claim 1,the method comprises the steps of: configuring a plurality of foldedflower features from the writing sheet by folding the first surfaceagainst itself; and forming the folded simulated flower byasymmetrically positioning the plurality of folded flower features aboutthe central axis.
 9. The method for conveying a message through asimulated flower as claimed in claim 8, the method comprises the stepsof: contorting selected features from the plurality of folded flowerfeatures in order to further conceal the printed message within thefolded simulated flower.
 10. The method for conveying a message througha simulated flower as claimed in claim 1, the method comprises the stepsof: providing a vase-style container; and positioning a distal end ofthe simulated flower stem into an opening of the vase-style container.